


My friend, Eugene

by Starrim



Category: Underworld Office, Underworld Office (Visual Novel)
Genre: Eugene is a sweet bean, Eugene is also a good friend, Joy & Oliver get a little bit more of a role in this but not much sorry, Luke is a good friend, Other tags may be added, bonus points to those of you who get the reference the title is referring to, slightly OOC but hopefully not much, the title for this in google docs is "luke & eugene are good friends"
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-18
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:01:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27621053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starrim/pseuds/Starrim
Summary: A look at Luke's perspective on his meeting with Eugene and all the events that followed.
Relationships: Hayden & Eugene, Joy & Oliver, Luke & Eugene, Luke & Joy, Luke & Kitty, Luke & Oliver
Comments: 37
Kudos: 87





	1. The weirdo sitting next to me

**Author's Note:**

> [DISCLAIMER] A lot of the dialogue in this chapter is taken straight from the game. I didn't come up with a lot of it.
> 
> Also I  
> did not edit the majority of this so I apologize for any errors in advance

_“Kitty…?”_

**_SCRATCH SCRATCH_ **

_“Are you there?”_

* * *

Luke woke up with a tired groan. The sunlight beamed through his window, cruelly alerting him to the reality of the morning. He forgot to draw his curtains. Again. Of course he did.

_You can’t even remember the most basic of things? No wonder Kitty died. So much for being “smart.”_

Luke shuddered. Logically, he knows that these are just irrational thoughts, unfortunate byproducts of Kitty’s death. He can’t help it, though. Not when he knows that there was more he could have done. Not when he knows that it was his fault.

_Kitty must hate me a lot, huh?_

He shook his head. These kinds of thoughts are counter-productive. They can’t bring Kitty back. So he should stop wallowing in self-pity and just…

Oh. It’s time for school.

Shit.

* * *

By some miracle of the gods, Luke managed to make it to school. He tried to force a smile as he stepped into the classroom.

“Wow Luke, you look like a zombie.”  
  
...That bad, huh? Thanks for the vote of encouragement, Oliver.

“Did you not sleep again?” Joy asked, a look of concern crossing her face. It really _is_ obvious, isn’t?

“...Shut up, my head’s ringing because of you guys…” Luke mumbled. Oops. Too harsh? Too harsh.

“...I’ve just been getting annoying dreams.” He admitted. Oliver tilted his head in confusion. “Dreams?”

“I can’t see anything, but,” Luke paused. They’ll probably laugh at him. Oh well. He’s too tired to put up much of a fight. “I keep hearing scratching noises...like Kitty…” 

Kitty used to scratch at his door whenever he accidentally locked him out. Luke would then get up and open the door, because what kind of _monster_ would ignore such a cute cat? After he finished telling him off in high pitched and repetitive mewls, he’d move to curl up on his pillow. The traitor.

Joy’s expression softened as she moved to sit next to him. “Luke…” she began, “Kitty’s dead.”

“So you’re getting nightmares because of that?” Oliver asked. Uh-oh. He doesn’t like where this is going. “Because of a _cat?_ ”

Luke could feel his face heating up. Kitty wasn’t just a _cat_ , he wanted to cry out. Kitty was my _best friend_ , he wanted to scream. That wouldn’t bode over well, though.

“Shut up!” He says instead. “I told you my head’s ringing!!” Both Oliver and Joy got quiet and looked away. Whatever. He’s not too inclined to care at this point.

Wait.

He’s being watched.

He looks over to his side and spots the red-hooded perpetrator sitting next to him. How long has that guy been there…? He sighs. It doesn’t matter. 

The other boy appears to be lost in thought. That is, until he notices Luke staring right back at him. The red-hooded boy’s expression turns to one of confusion, and then panic. Luke knows what that means.

_He’s judging him._

“...What are you looking at?” He snaps. 

“Um, huh? Me?” The other boy asks, pretending to be ignorant. Luke’s not putting up with it.

“You’re the only one looking at me.” He says. Then he gets angrier. “You think this is funny? I feel like I’m dying, you know?” The other student shrinks back. Good. He _should_ be scared. “You think I’m funny?” He repeats. “Huh?”

“N...no. I was just…” the other stammers out. “You were talking about a cat...so I was just wondering what it was about…” He trails off.

Now it’s Luke’s turn to go silent. Wow. He’s a jerk.

“I...I’m sorry…” The other boy tears up a little. Why are _you_ apologizing, he thinks. 

Luke sighs. “No. It’s okay.” He says.

“I’m sorry...Wait, huh? It’s okay?” He sounds surprised. Is he really _that_ scary?

“If it’s about my cat, then that’s fine.” Luke explains. “Hey, if it’s something like that, just hurry up and say it. I’m not exactly in a good mood these days, so I might have lost it if you kept being hesitant.”

“Uh...Okay.” The other nods. “Thanks…”

“A...anyway, you look...tired…” Huh? Admittedly, Luke thought that was the end of the conversation. The poor boy seemed scared half to death, and he wasn’t going to push it. 

“Huh?”

“I…” He seems to be thinking really hard about something. Seconds later, he appears to have made up his mind, nodding to himself and looking up at Luke.

“I hope you get...some rest!”

Huh.

He looks over at Joy and Oliver, who are wearing similarly shocked expressions. The hooded-boy looks somewhat shocked at himself, too.

That really was the end of their conversation-- they didn’t say anything more after that line.

What a weirdo.

* * *

Luke’s curiosity gets the better of him. He asks his friends about it later on the way home.

“Huh? That quiet kid you almost beat up earlier?” Oliver asks. He cringes, but he probably deserved that. He nods.

“He’s always super quiet and anxious. Never making eye-contact or talking, aside from when the teacher calls on him.”  
  


Joy nods in agreement. “Actually, I think today was the first time I heard him form a full sentence. Pretty wild, huh?”

Luke doesn’t know what to think about that. Or about the reason that he spoke today was because there was a very real threat of violence. He...has really got to get better about that. 

Oh well. That’s something to worry about another day. Right now, he just wants to get some sleep.

Before the nightmares inevitably come.


	2. The weirdo in my dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dream sequence. (AKA, Eugene and Hayden occupy Luke's dream space for over 2k words)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I'm splitting this chapter into two separate parts to make the reading easier on you guys. So, this is chapter 2, part 1. I don't usually like doing things like that, but I think you all might prefer multiple shorter chapters instead of a really long one. With that being said, I will be finishing up the second part of this chapter very soon and posting it here. Thank you for your encouraging comments! They really motivate me to continue doing what I'm doing, so I appreciate it. 
> 
> Extra notes:  
> \- Dialogue in this chapter will be italicized for the added "dream" effect. I'm sorry if a lot of things seem a little all over the place. This is what I get for trying to write this type of story, I suppose.  
> I love this part of the game. I really, really do. I do not, however, like writing out this part of the game. 
> 
> DISCLAIMER: The majority of dialogue in both parts of this chapter are not of my original design. I took them straight from the game itself, so please make sure to show the developers the love and appreciation they deserve :D

Okay, so Luke had fully been expecting to have nightmares about his cat again. Old news, not a big deal. He was not, however, expecting two ghosts to crash land into his mind.

...Hey, hasn’t he seen that other one before? You know, the hooded one? With glasses? Maybe it’s just his imagination...

* * *

  
**_SCRATCH SCRATCH_ **

Luke woke up with a start. He opened his eyes only to find…well, nothing. He searched the area around him in a frantic fashion, but no luck. He let out a defeated sigh. It would have been too much to ask for _one_ dreamless night, he supposes.

**_SCRATCH SCRATCH_ **

Luke jumps again, shuddering at the sudden sound in the cold darkness. _“Kitty? Is that you?”_ he asks. No answer. Of course.

...He doesn’t like this dream. Like, he _really_ doesn’t like this dream. He’d prefer anything to this. And no, the usage of the word ‘anything’ isn’t an exaggeration. This dream is awful. It’s scary. 

**_SCRATCH SCRATCH_ **

More scratching noises.

_“Kitty?”_ He asks again. _“Kitty?”_ He repeats himself. He repeats the question over and over again, verging into the realm of pleading. Then he starts begging. For some reason, he always gets super emotional whenever he’s...well, wherever he is right now.

_“Kitty? Kitty, please, if you’re there, talk to me.”_

There’s still no answer. His thoughts are moving faster than he can process. The anticipation and dread are growing at a rate he didn’t even know were possible.

**_SCRATCH SCRATCH_ **

_“Kitty! Please don’t leave me alone…”_ he cried, a few tears breaking free. _  
  
_

_“Kitty, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry…”_

All he can think is _‘I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry.’_ His thoughts have been completely consumed.

**_SCRATCH SCRATCH_ **

He really is crying now. God, he’s such a _failure._ First to Kitty, and now-

_“...Are you okay, Luke?”_ A soft voice calls out, interrupting his speeding train of thought. Luke’s head snaps up.

He sniffles a little. “What is it? W... _Who_ is it?” He should have asked that first. _Idiot_.

Luke squints his eyes and looks for the source of the voice. Then it hits him. _Recognition_.

_“I…”_ The hooded boy stammers. He looks different, he observes. The other is dressed in a white and pink-ish hoodie, an almost ethereal glow surrounding him. Weird.

_“...It’s Eugene. I s...sit next to you at school,”_ he says at last. _Eugene_ , huh? At least now he can tie a name to a face. Luke was getting tired of referring to him as “hooded boy” all the time, anyway.

_“Eugene, you idiot!”_ A younger voice calls out. The two boys jump at the sharp interjection. Luke looks around for the source, eyes eventually landing on a..little kid? That’s floating? He sighed. This is a dream. Probably best not to question things, he thinks.

_“Why did you answer him? He’s gonna ask questions later!”_ The younger boy whines. Luke doesn’t get what that means, but Eugene apparently does, letting out a panicked “oh” in response.

**_SCRATCH SCRATCH_ **

Luke lets out a sharp gasp. Eugene looks over at him worriedly, while the younger child looks in the direction of the sound. _“Scratching noises?”_ he asks.

**_SCRATCH SCRATCH_ **

_“I’m...I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Kitty.”_ Luke begins. _“Please forgive me…”_

Eugene fixes him with a worried expression. _“Are you saying that you did...something wrong…”_ he started, _“and that’s why...Kitty’s in your dreams?”_

_“What? It was his fault? Then Hayden wouldn’t have come!”_ The younger boy exclaims. Eugene snaps his head to look at him. _“Why?”_ He asks.

_“Why?”_ he- Hayden?- repeats back to him. _“He should’ve done better if he was going to raise it in a house.”_ He huffs annoyedly. Luke totally gets it. He’s annoyed with himself, too.

_“Eugene thinks animals don’t hold grudges just because they can’t talk? Hayden doesn’t know about Boss or Joan, but Hayden doesn’t help with this,”_ he states, emphasizing the last part of that line. _“He should just keep having nightmares!”_

Eugene cuts in. _“B...but we don’t know what’s going on...for sure,”_ he says, attempting to plead with the younger boy. 

Luke sighs. He appreciates the defense, but Hayden is right. He deserves this. _“It’s all...my fault…_

And yet…

_“I deserve to get nightmares…”_ he finishes, breaking into tears once again. _Pathetic._

He hates feeling like this.

The other boy is silent. Luke continues, mumbling mostly to himself, but loud enough that the other two can still hear him. It’s not like there’s much noise other than the scratching, after all. _“I...I’m a bad owner,”_ he cries out, sobbing even more.

_“What did you do?”_ Hayden asks. Not like there’s any harm in telling them, Luke supposes.

_“I...I didn’t take care of Kitty well enough…”_ He squeezes his eyes shut, trying to block out the familiar mews of Kitty that circled around in his mind. _“I didn’t even know he was sick…”_ What kind of owner is he?

_“And that damned vet said it was too late when I visited!”_ He cried, frustration and sorrow seeping into his voice.

_“Kitty d…”_ It’s always hard for him to say that word. It’s even harder now. _“Kitty died while I came home to get something!”_

_“But it seems like Luke did his best…”_ Eugene trails off. Luke ignores him, continuing on.

_“Kitty is...probably blaming me for leaving him…”_ Probably? More like definitely. _“Getting nightmares like these...it’s all because I didn’t treat him right…”_

_“Get over yourself!”_ Hayden snaps suddenly. _“What?”_ Luke asks, confused.

_“Do you sit by your grades at school?”_ The younger one questions. _“Is that why Luke and Eugene sit next to each other? Because you two are both dummies?”_ Ouch. Eugene too? No mercy to anyone, huh?

_“W...We’re not dummies!”_ Eugene cries, albeit meekly. Poor guy. Hayden ignores him.

_“Listen, dummies. This is a dream made by Luke’s cat.”_ Luke’s eyes widen. He suspected as much, but to hear it outright like that…

_“Cat?”_ Eugene asks at the same time Luke says _“Kitty?”_

_“Yes, Kitty.”_ Hayden nods, rolling his eyes. Luke feels like he’s being mothered. By a _child_ . _“Since cats can get around in the dark, it didn’t need to be bright.”_

Realization flashes in Eugene’s face. Luke’s feeling similarly.

_“If Kitty knew more about humans, the dream would have been brighter.”_ he turns to Luke. _“I guess Kitty was still a baby?”_ Hayden asks.

_“Um, yeah…”_ Luke nods in confirmation, a sad smile forming on his features. _“Not even one.”_

_“Okay, I know!”_ Hayden exclaims suddenly, excitedly. The older two jump back slightly. _“Luke, close your eyes and imagine a switch,”_ he instructs. _“Then, a switch will appear somewhere. It is Luke’s dream after all. Eugene and Hayden will then look for that switch!”_

Does it really work like that? ...Whatever. It’s not like he’s in much of a position to say anything on the matter, Luke thinks. He’ll just have to take their word for it-- for now.

_“...I’m not gonna let this go if this is all a lie,”_ Luke warns them. _“A switch...like a light switch?”_

Hayden nods his head happily. _“Wow, Luke’s better than Eugene!”_ he exclaims. Ouch. Taking shots at Eugene again, huh? Luke looks over at the boy. Eugene lowers his head, sighing in defeat. _  
__  
__“I…I’m not dumb, either.”_ The hooded boy mumbles. Luke laughs at that.

_“Hey, Eugene,”_ Luke calls out. He looks up, meeting Luke’s eyes for a brief moment. There’s a question he’s been meaning to ask for a while. _“If you know how to talk, then why were you so silent at school?”_ _  
__  
_Eugene doesn’t seem to know what to say to that. Luke decides to drop it for now.

Hayden then instructs Eugene to look for a switch along the left wall. Hayden moves in the opposite direction. Luke stays a little bit closer to Eugene. He doesn’t trust either of them that much, but the other boy is easier to be around than the floating child.

_“...Hey, Eugene.”_ Luke finally says, after a few minutes of wandering around.

_“Yes...huh?”_ Eugene asks, stilling in his search to look at him. Luke gives a soft smile in response.

_“You know...I don’t know if this is a dream or not, but…”_ He takes a deep breath. _“...Thanks.”_

Eugene doesn’t say anything, moving to continue looking for the light switch. They stand in silence for a few moments longer, before he lets out a shaky breath. Luke looks at him.

_“...I didn’t talk at school...because…”_ Oh? Is...this the answer to his earlier question? Luke listens attentively.

_“...because I was just s...scared.”_

Oh. _Oh. Shit._

_“Scared?”_ he asks, even though he already knows the answer. Man, he really _is_ a jerk.

_“...Yes,”_ Eugene says after a brief moment. He must have seen the look on Luke’s face because he hurriedly tries to clear that up immediately after.

_“I...I’m not saying you’re scary!”_ he exclaims, looking slightly guilty. _“I was just scared that...I would do something stupid…”_

Stupid?

_“If I stay quiet… then I wouldn’t make stupid mistakes.”_

Ah.

_“...So,”_ Luke begins after a moment of contemplation. _“You’re saying that you always stayed alone just because you were scared that you would make stupid mistakes?”_ That in itself is the most stupid thing he’s ever heard. Mistakes are a part of life, you know? You just gotta...learn from them, and move on.

Like he’s one to talk.

_“... I knew you were a wimp, but isn’t that too much…?”_

_“...Y… you’re right.”_ Eugene agrees. _“...But it was a good idea to step in this time… I think,”_ he says, finally. _“I was able to help you out…”_

Eugene is right. Just him being here made this dream a whole lot more bearable… even if he doesn’t know the aforementioned person all that well.

Luke laughs a little. _“...Weirdo.”_

The hooded boy returned to his search without another word. Before Luke could say anything else, Eugene let out a quiet gasp.

_“Wait, huh? I… I think I found it!”_ he exclaimed.

“ _What?”_ Luke asked, slightly surprised by the other’s sudden excitement. Not that he’s complaining. The boy could stand to do a bit more of the whole ‘enthusiasm’ thing, he thinks.

_“Good job Eugene!”_ Hayden cheers. _“Turn on the switch!”_

The dream got bright as Eugene flipped the switch.

The three of them look around, taking in their surroundings. Luke recognizes this place immediately.

_“...It’s just my room,”_ he states, finally. A wave of relief washes over him. _“It was so scary when I didn’t know where I was…”_ _  
  
_

Usually, this is the part where Luke feels like an idiot for not realizing such an obvious thing sooner, but he can’t bring himself to be worried about something like that at the moment. He’s safe. He’s _safe._

_“Wow!”_ Hayden exclaims, floating around. _“It’s all so sporty!!!”_

Luke laughs, rubbing the back of his head a little. _“Aren’t you looking a little too closel…”_ He cuts off, eyes widening on what the younger dream-walker is hovering over. _Please don’t say anything_ , he silently pleads with the smaller boy, but to no avail. Hayden’s face lights up.

_“You have so many cat toys!!!”_ He said it. 

_“S… stop it!”_ Luke tries to exclaim, but it comes out as more of a shaky mumble. He knows that the boy means well, but looking at those things and acknowledging that they’re there-- it’s all just a painful reminder of what he’s lost.

**_SCRATCH SCRATCH_ **

Luke jumps back again, the familiar feeling of fear and dread beginning to return. Hayden cuts his thoughts off before they can fester.

_“Don’t get scared, and listen to where it’s coming from,”_ Hayden says, directing their attention towards the source of the sound.

_“Across the room door?”_ Eugene asks. Luke nods his head in agreement.

_“...I think it’s coming from the door. Should I open it…?”_ He turns to Hayden.

_“Do you want to see Kitty?”_

Yes. Yes, of course. That’s his best friend out there. He has to.

_“I… I should…”_

_“Does Luke really think that Kitty hates Luke?”_

Luke stops for a moment, thinking. _“I can’t tell for sure,”_ he starts, _“but I also can’t be sure that Kitty doesn’t hate me…”_ He has every reason to, Luke supposes. It’s his fault that Kitty isn’t here anymore, after all. God, he’s so _useless_.

Hayden’s expression turns serious for a moment. _“If Kitty is actually a monster with grudges… something horrible might happen to Luke.”_

That horrible sense of fear and regret is building up again. Eugene’s eyes widen, whipping around to face the smaller boy. _“What???”_

_“Like… Luke could get consumed by the monster… or take his memories…”_

What? His memories? No, that can’t happen. Luke hurts, _greatly_ , from the loss of Kitty, but he can’t stand the thought of never remembering his existence to begin with.

Maybe he shouldn’t open the door, after all.

_“R… really?”_ Eugene asks.

The younger boy shrugs. _“Hayden’s just saying that it might be dangerous,”_ he pauses, thinking for a moment. _“So, in this case, we don’t have to open the door, and just cleanse the dream itself for Kitty to rest in peace. That might be safer.”_

Luke wants to see Kitty again, but would that be safe for either of them? He doesn’t want to get hurt, and he doesn’t want to hurt Kitty any more than he already has. 

_“T… then we should do tha…”_ Hayden cuts him off.

_“But, if Kitty doesn’t have any grudges and was just visiting Luke… If we cleanse the dream, then mortals can never meet Kitty ever again.”_ He looks up at Luke expectantly.

_“W...what do I do…”_

Of _course_ Luke wants to see Kitty again. He wants that more than anything right now, even if it’s the last time. But what if something goes wrong? What if Kitty hates him? 

The thoughts are becoming unbearable. He can barely think straight with all of this noise. He looks over at the hooded boy, who also appears to be thinking deeply about something.

_“E…Eugene?”_ The person in question snaps his head up. _“Huh? Me… me?”_

_“I… I can’t choose…”_ Luke says finally, feeling defeated. _“W… what would you do?”_

Eugene looks troubled by this question. _“H… how do I know something you don’t know…”_

The noises are getting louder. It hurts, it _hurts_ , _stop it!_

_“...P… please…”_ He says, struggling to force words out.

The other boy stares back at him, expression softening, despite looking more stressed and troubled than he did minutes ago.

After an apparent moment of contemplation, Eugene voices his decision. _“I… I think…”_

_“It might be worth a try… to meet Kitty even if it might be dangerous.”_

As terrifying as that decision is, he wants to grasp at that last straw, he thinks. Luke’s expression brightens.

_“I want to see him,”_ he says, smiling, _“even if Kitty blames me, and even if he won’t listen to me.”_ He nods, mostly to himself, determination strengthening. _“I want to see him and apologize. That’s… how friends are.”_

Luke strode towards the door, steps slowing as he got closer. He faltered. He wants to talk- no, _needs_ to talk with Kitty, for Luke’s own sake and his late friend. That fact doesn’t make the reality of the situation any less scary or nerve-wracking, though. 

  
He shook his head violently, smacking his hands against his skin for further effect. Door now, thoughts later. He took a deep breath and turned the doorknob to reveal what was waiting on the other side. _  
_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Some extra notes that you might(?) be interested in:  
> \- (SPOILERS) Based on later events in the game and certain routes, I headcanon that the dreamer's emotions are influenced by the events of the dream and the ghost creating them. I imagine that Luke tries not to be too emotional in everyday life, so he suddenly becoming very emotional would be confusing, and influenced greatly by the dream.  
> \- It is so, so tempting to refer to Eugene as "hoodie" or "glasses," but that's Tatum and Finley's thing. I can't bring myself to take that from them.  
> \- There is a very good chance that I will go back and edit this chapter. I tried to keep Luke in character as much as possible, but I don't feel like I did him enough justice? Let me know what you guys think.
> 
> A few final things before I go:  
> \- Looking for a potential beta reader? I could use the extra help editing and revising chapters and fics. I can't pay you, but it would be very much appreciated.  
> \- Are you interested in digital art? Looking for a low-priced but high-quality present for the holidays? I would really appreciate it if you could go check out @CetrouzOfficial on Twitter. If you can't buy anything, that's totally fine. Spreading the word about their commissions would help a bunch. Thanks again!


	3. The weirdo in my dreams (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of chapter 2!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Part 2, as promised. 
> 
> DISCLAIMER: The majority of dialogue in here was not born of my own creativity. These were pulled directly from the game itself, so please show some appreciation and support for the writers and developers of Underworld Office!!

Luke’s breath caught in his throat. Looking up at him were two of the biggest, most _adorable_ eyes, ones that he recognized instantly. These are the eyes he’d come to expect and love: Leaving for school, returning home, and waking up in the morning- there was no doubt about it.

_“K...Kitty.”_ Luke stated, frozen in place, unsure of how to react. How _is_ one supposed to act when their dead cat returns from the, well, _dead?_

_“Meow,”_ Kitty said, nodding in affirmation.

All of sudden, thousands of emotions and thoughts came rushing in all at once, overwhelming the older boy. _“Kitty!!”_

Kitty gave a long ‘meow’ in response, tone matching that of his former caretaker. Luke kneeled in front of him, apologizing repeatedly in harsh and quick breaths. Kitty mewed again, tilting his head to the side in apparent confusion. The other two ghosts, momentarily forgotten, watched the pair with thoughtful expressions.

_“I’m sorry for everything. I’m so sorry,”_ Luke sobbed out, unable to meet the other’s eyes. He messed up. How could he mess up so _badly?_ If he had just been more careful and caring, then Kitty wouldn’t have…

As if hearing his thoughts, Kitty let out several louder meows, in the hopes of trying to distract the other boy. Hayden sighed. _“Luke doesn’t know Luke’s cat’s emotions?”_ he questioned. _“You can’t understand Kitty?”_

Understand? What is that supposed to mean? Of _course_ he doesn’t understand what Kitty is saying. Kitty doesn’t speak his language. Luke doesn’t speak Kitty’s. What is the floating child talking about _now?_

_“Huh…?”_

Hayden sighed again, shaking his head. _“I guess not. Here, you can borrow this,”_ he said, placing the green item on Kitty’s head. (If he’s being honest, Luke thought that was his hair. A quick glance in Eugene’s direction revealed that he wasn’t alone in that assumption).

The (now hair-less) ghost bounced excitedly, turning to Luke and Kitty. _“This hat lets cats talk human and humans talk cat!”_ It does _what?_

Hayden grinned. _“Now you can actually talk to each other!”_

Eugene’s eyes sparkled, looking back and forth between Hayden and Kitty in awe. _“T… that’s so cool, Hayden!”_ he exclaimed. Luke found himself having to agree. It _was_ pretty cool.

The younger boy turned to Eugene, placing a finger over his lips in response. _“Now, Eugene, Eugene and Hayden should be quiet! Shhhh!”_

_“S...shhh…?”_ the hooded boy repeated, sounding more confused with each syllable. Luke would have laughed had the circumstances been different. However, said circumstances involved his late companion currently walking towards him, which was understandably taking most of his attention.

_“Baby,”_ Kitty said, looking up at Luke. That caught him off guard. Of course, he knew that the hat would allow the cat to speak “human,” but he actually knows words in this language?   
  


_“...Oh my goodness, Kitty, when did you learn how to talk…”_ Luke trailed off, too baffled to finish the thought.

_“Baby, treats?”_ Huh?

_“Huh?”_ He repeated, out loud this time.

_“Do you want treats? My baby wants treats?”_ Kitty asked. _“Did you miss your brother, baby?”_

Wait. These questions…

_“...It’s what I said.”_ Luke finished aloud. _“Kitty, you remembered?”_

Eugene tilted his head in the direction of Hayden. _“...Kitty is using Luke’s words,”_ he stated, silently asking the floating child about the matter. Hayden caught on immediately.

_“Since cats don’t know how to speak human, Kitty is borrowing Luke’s words to communicate!”_ he explained. Ah. Well, that would make a lot of sense, Luke thinks. 

_“Kitty knew what Luke meant even though he didn’t fully understand,”_ Eugene stated, letting a small smile form on his features. 

_“Kitty…”_ Luke starts, turning to the white-haired creature. Kitty looks up at him as well.

_“Luke loves Kitty the most in the world.”_ Luke understands. _‘I love you the most in the world.’_ He starts crying again at that, tears rolling down his face until it turns to sobbing. _“K… Kitty.”_ I love you too, he thinks. Kitty knows.

_“Baby, I’m sorry. I love you, you know that, right? Our Kitty is the prettiest cat in the world!”_ (Translation: _I’m sorry. I love you, you know that, right? You’re the best friend in the world!_ )

_“K…”_ Luke says, sobbing out more tears. _“Okay, I got… I got it…”_

Kitty looks at him sympathetically. _“Oh baby, you feel bad for scratching me? It’s okay, it’s okay. Luke isn’t hurt. You see?”_ he says, attempting to soothe the other.

_“R… really? It didn’t hurt? You got a lot of shots, it didn’t hurt?”_ Luke questioned, still somewhat unbelieving of what was happening and what he was hearing.

Kitty smiled, the way cats sometimes do. _“Luke loves you. I’m happy as long as you’re with me.”_ (Translation: _I love you. I’m happy as long as I’m with you._ )

_“T… then why did you leave so soon… You left me all alone, Kitty…”_ It wasn’t Kitty’s fault-- he knows that. It doesn’t stop the feeling of betrayal and grief, though. Especially when the creature in question is sitting right there.

_“Luke is sorry for being busy. I’m so sorry, Kitty.”_ (Translation: _I’m sorry for leaving. I’m so sorry, Luke._ )

_“I’ll be back soon!”_ Kitty continued, meowing brightly. _“Baby, watch the house for me! I got you snacks, too!”_

_“W… when are you coming back… I miss you so much, Kitty,”_ Luke mumbled, tears still clinging to his eyes. 

_“Luke will be back before you know it, Kitty! Don’t cry too much, okay?”_ Kitty said in response. _“Go watch the birds out the window, play with the toys, have fun, okay?”_

_“O… Okay,”_ Luke sniffles. _“I’ll wait… I’ll stay well and wait for you,”_ he promised, offering (asking for) a hug. Kitty jumps into his arms, leaning into the embrace. After a moment, he jumps down, walking towards the door. He turns to Luke.

_“I love you. I really really love you. I’ll be back soon!”_

Luke takes a deep breath. He doesn’t want Kitty to go. But he knows he has to. For both of their sakes.

_“I… I love you too, baby. Goodbye, Kitty…”_

With those words, the world started fading to black again, leaving Luke to sleep with a comfortable sense of closure and peace.

* * *

Luke arrived at school the next morning, feeling more well-rested than he had in over a week. He can’t believe he had taken a restful sleep for granted. Never again, he vows to himself.

As he steps into the classroom, he hears a familiar voice call out to him. 

“Oh, Luke is here! Hey!” Oliver exclaims, waving him over. Joy gives a small, friendly wave as well. Luke groans.

“Don’t make a scene,” he says. He looks around the classroom, a certain glasses-wearing student catching his eye. It seems like Eugene was looking at him, too, from the way he jumps at the sudden eye contact.

He doesn’t look away this time, though. Weird.

It’s been bothering him ever since he woke up, and was able to think clearly without having an emotional breakdown. Was the Eugene in his dream the same Eugene he’s staring at now? 

Only one way to find out.

“...You,” Luke states, directing his full attention to the boy sitting next to him. 

“Huh? W… what?” Eugene asks, shifting nervously in his seat. His eyes dart from each corner of the classroom as if trying to find a way to escape. Luke tilts his head in mock-confusion. 

“...Why are you panicking?” he asks, trying to play it cool. If this _is_ the same Eugene, then his behavior right now makes sense, given that he was scolded for revealing his identity to Luke last night.

“N… n… nothing…” he says. He sounds unsure of himself.

“I… saw you in my dreams… yesterday…” Luke says at last. Eugene is visibly startled by this, letting out a sharp gasp, followed by some weird amalgamation of hiccups and coughs (Luke didn’t even know that was _possible_ ). Definitely guilty.

Joy fixes the hooded boy with a concerned expression. “What scared you this time?” she asks. Oliver has a similar reaction, laughing lightly at the display. “That was hilarious just now. Are you okay?”

“Y… yes,” Eugene says, after a brief moment of contemplation. “Don’t worry about me!” he says hurriedly, looking away.

“...Hey,” Luke says, trying to regain the boy’s attention. He coughs again in response. Luke sighs, rolling his eyes slightly.

“You don’t have anything to say to me?” he questioned. Eugene gulped.

“S… something to say?” He echoed, trying to play dumb. A little late for that, Luke thinks.

Before either of them have a chance to respond, Oliver cuts them off, narrowing his eyes at Luke.

“Hey, why are you bullying him out of nowhere?” 

“Right, Eugene just coughed!” Joy exclaimed.

“And hiccupped! At the same time!” Oliver added.

Is that really how people see him? Luke frowns. He supposes it _is_ kind of his fault, but it still hurts. And it’s annoying.

“No, I’m not trying to scare him. It’s just that yesterday…!” he glanced over at Eugene. His eyes were conveying a clear, silent message: _‘Please don’t tell them.’_

“What about yesterday?” Oliver asks. Luke groans, resisting the urge to slap a hand over his forehead. 

“...Ugh, hey you! Come with me!” he says, grabbing Eugene by the arm and pulling him out towards the hallway.

“Huh? M… m… me?” Eugene sputters, but following Luke’s lead anyway. Joy calls out to him again, but he ignores her. He needs to talk to Eugene first. Alone.

As they step out of the classroom, Luke loosens his grip on the boy’s arm. He figures he must be scared enough as is. He doesn’t blame him. 

“W… where are we going?” Eugene asks.

“Not far,” Luke responds, pulling him over to a nearby bench. “Hey, answer quietly so they can’t hear us, got it?” 

Eugene nods. “O… okay…”

Luke closes his eyes, taking a deep breath before speaking. “...Whether you do or don’t know something, whether it was actually you or not yesterday,” he paused, thinking of a good way to phrase it, “you better not talk about it, got it?” Oops. Maybe that was a little too harsh. Eugene seems fairly unbothered about that part, though. He looks troubled about something else. He looks up at Luke confusedly.

“A… about you dreaming about your cat…?” he asks, hesitant in his words. Luke goes to say something else, but then he stops. Eugene _could_ just be referring to the incident the other day (Luke still feels bad about that) and not what happened last night.

“...Do you really not know anything…?” Luke questions. He sighs. “It seemed like you knew something…”  
  


Eugene looks off to the side. “I… I don’t know what you’re talking about…” he says, finally.

Luke turns to Eugene, expression softening into something more apologetic. Even if he does know something, it wasn’t cool of him to just drag him around and interrogate him. 

“...Nevermind. I’m sorry.” Eugene snaps back to look at his face, rushing to get a response out. “Huh? N… no, it’s okay…” he says, honestly.

Luke rubs the back of his head. “...I didn’t mean to yell at you or threaten you.”

They both fall silent, unsure of what to do or say next.

“...Just,” Luke begins, causing the glasses-wearer to look up at him once again. “Come talk to me if anyone bullies you,” he says. Eugene’s eyes widen, but Luke continues on before he can say anything. “If you need to talk to anyone, come talk to me. Got it?”

Eugene is stunned into silence for a moment, seemingly clueless on how to respond to that. After an apparent moment of contemplation though, he finally gives a quiet “okay.”

Luke brightens up at the response. He stands up, offering a hand to Eugene. 

“...Let’s go in, class is gonna start.”

Eugene stares at his hand for a moment, before reaching up to grab onto it. “O… Okay.”

They’re greeted by Joy and Oliver as soon as they reenter the classroom. 

“They’re here!” Joy calls out, grabbing Oliver’s attention. He walks over to them as well, turning immediately to Eugene. 

“Hey, did he bully you?”  
  
“If he did, tell us and we’ll tell the teacher.” 

Ouch. He’s not really _that_ scary and threatening, is he? _Is he?_

“H… haha… No…” the hooded student says quietly, but honestly.

Luke sighs in defeat and resignation, turning to his other two friends. “You guys keep making me the bad guy, huh?”

“I mean if you say it like that…”

Their friendly banter continues on for another couple of minutes, halted by the beginning of class.

Luke doesn’t know what to think about everything that’s happened recently. But, he thinks, glancing over at the student next to him, at least people are benefiting from this.

Luke doesn’t have to live with as much pain and guilt anymore, thanks to Eugene and Hayden, and Eugene…

Eugene has a new friend. Namely him. Luke doesn’t really know how this friendship is going to go, but he wants to try and make things work.

  
It’s the least he can do, after all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you!
> 
> I did it! I had a sudden burst of energy, so I decided to sit down for a few hours and work on finishing up part 2 of chapter 2 (even though it's technically chapter 3 lol). I hope this sounds somewhat okay?  
> Some common problems I ran into:  
> \- "is this redundant?"  
> \- "is this too repetitive?"  
> \- "what's a different word I can use?"  
> \- "think. you're luke now. get inside his head. be luke. hear luke. see luke. awaken."  
> I don't regret it though. It was fun!
> 
> I don't know when the next chapter will be up, but if it isn't this month, it will most likely be next month. Of course, I'll also be posting on tumblr when I do update, so if you want to check in on that it's "starrim" ('but what if' is the blog title)  
> ALSO! Please consider checking out @CetrouzOfficial on Twitter!! They make a lot of cool stuff, and offer commissions as well! Tell your friends! Your parents! Your dog! Your cat! ...or something? google how do I advertise without actually advertising it's hard asdhshdffd
> 
> also also  
> thank you all so much for your support so far, I really appreciate it!  
> I know I say that a lot, but I mean it each and every time :DD

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! More chapters should be out soon, and hopefully longer than this one.


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